This invention concerns an automatic sliver distributor for spinning machines. To be more exact, the automatic sliver distributor can be applied advantageously to free-fibre spinning machines, which are called "open-end spinning machines".
However, when suitably adapted, the distributor can be employed with any spinning machine or other type of machine fed with sliver deposited in cans.
In the spinning field it is known that the feeding of machines from cans holding slivers of fibres takes place mainly with manual systems as regards the handling and positioning of the full and empty cans.
The full cans are taken from machines preparing the sliver and are borne on trolleys pushed by the appropriate personnel and are moved to a storage zone near the spinning machines.
The empty cans coming from the spinning machines follow the opposite path.
In the case of free-fibre, or open-end, spinning machines, to which we shall refer hereinafter in this disclosure without thereby limiting the field of application of the invention, the spinning machine operator uses the full cans when those already in use are emptied.
The cans are changed according to various criteria, depending on the properties of the yarn, the organization of the spinning mill, the type of machine, etc.
Such criteria can be broken down substantially into a random exchange when the sliver has been used up at any point in the machine, or an exchange by sections with replacement of a plurality of neighbouring cans in succession, or an exchange by machines with a complete replacement of all the cans being used as soon as they are all empty.
These systems for taking, carrying and depositing the full and empty cans entail noteworthy limits, particularly so with open-end spinning, which reaches high speeds of output yarn and therfore needs a supply of large quantities of sliver.
In particular, the open-end spinning machines are structured in such a way that they have very limited space available for the supply of cans of sliver, and the cans by necessity hold insufficient quantities to meet requirements and therefore have to be changed very often.
Moreover, the space required for storage of cans is very great, as also is the number of the cans themselves, and this represents a considerable cost for the spinning mills.
Owing to being continually moved the cans are subjected to wear and possible accidental damage, which cause cans to be wasted.
Furthermore, the handling of these cans requires personnel employed for this type of work and the related costs.
Some manufacturers have proposed automated systems for transporting the cans within the spinning mills but these solutions are very expensive and extremely inflexible to apply. In any event, these systems offer only equipment to move the cans from one storage point to another and form obstacles for normal movement within the spinning mill.